William s



(No Model.)

W. S. PHELPS.

CABLE RAILROAD.

Patented May. 6, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT tries.

.CABLE RAILROAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,903, dated March 6,1888.

Application filed August 23,1887. Serial No. 247,648. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. PHELPS, a resident of San Francisco,State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in CableRailroads, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to the means used for operating the turn -tablesat the termini of the road when, the cars being upon them, it isrequired that they be turned about to transfer the cars from one trackto another.

It consists in a novel means of moving the table by connecting it by achain belt with the constantly-moving sheave of the cable at the ends ofthe road, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a transverse sectional elevation, of theinvention. Fig. 3 is a detail View.

In all the figures the same letters of reference are used in indicatingthe same parts.

A is a turn-table of a common form of construction, and hence need notbe elaborately described. It will suffice to say that it is formed of acircular iron rim, B, made of an inverted rail properly braced andstiffened. Upon this a wooden flooring, C, is laid, and the track-ironsD properly fastened. The table turns about on the circular track E, setbelow and coincident with the track B, be tween the two there being aseries of rollers or friction-wheels, F, rolling on spindles G,whichform the arms of a wheel connecting between the central hub, H, and theouter rim, I.

On the outer edge of the rim or track B, between the upper and lowerflange and tread of the rail, there is bolted through the web of thisrail a series of sections ofa rim of a chain sheave, J--(see Fig. 3)thatis to say, there are bolted cast-iron sections of a complete circleindented to receive snugly an ordinary chain belt, K. This chain belt,after passing half-way around the table,leads away over fairleaderpulleys L L, to pass around a smaller chain sheave-pulley,-M, on thetail-sheave spindle. This sheave does not revolve except when the tableis moved. Its movement is effected by providing upon the tail-sheavespindle N av cone-shaped friction-clutch, O, which engages with a femaleclutch on the lower side of the sheave M. The clutch O is fitted on afeather on the spindle N, and in the common fashion is shipped in andout of engagement by manipulating the lever l which may be either a footor hand lever.

In case the chain becomes worn and stretched, so as to be too slack tooperate properly, it may be tightened a little by setting up thetightening-pulley Q-an ordinary affair set in a suitable frame, similarto those now used for this purpose. It is set to any desired position bymeans of the screw It.

The operation of this device is simple and 'more effective than such ofthe same kind as are now commonly used, by reason of the absence of allcomplicated and expensive intermediary parts between the table andsource of its moving power, and is as follows: When the car is fullylanded on the turntable, the table is unlocked in the usual manner-thatis, if it has a lock or latch provided for it. The operator thenmanipulates the lever, which throws the clutch into engagement, when theloose sheave M will immediately commence to revolve, slowly at first,butgradually increasing its speed until the table is fully in motion,the motion of the sheave M being transmit-te to the table by the chainbelt K.

S is the tailsheave.

T is the cable which moves in operating the road.

It is common to operate turn-tables by means of a chain belttransmitting motion through intermediate mechanism of various kinds fromsome convenient moving mechanism underground; but I am not aware of thesimplified arrangement herein disclosed having ever before been known.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

In cable railways, as a means of moving the turntable at the terminus,the combination, with the spindle of the tail-sheave, of the loosesheave M, clutch O, lever P, chain K, chain sheave J on table, and asuitable turntable,

arranged and operating as set forth.

